Safety razor



P 1970 s. H. ALEXANDER 3,529,351

- I SAFETY RAZOR Filed June 10, 1968 United States Patent Int. (:1. B26b21/26 US. Cl. 30-40.1 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safetyrazor magazine that houses a stainless steel razor blade band has a flatshaving platform that terminates at each end in a sharp curve of 0.062inch radius over which the blade passes. The blade is bent through 165about these curved end surfaces. A guard bar, secured to and in front ofthe shaving platform, defines a shaving geometry relative to thesharpened edge of the razor blade. The magazine cover has side wallsthat define, with the curved end surfaces of the platform, a channel ateach end of the shaving platform. Formed integrally with each side wallsis a projection that is positioned forwardly of an spaced from theplatform and forms an extension of the guard bar. Each projectionoverlies the channels at each end of the shaving platform. In oneembodiment each projection overlies the platform 0.009 inch and extends0.010 inch above the level of the platform. In another embodiment thevertical inner wall of each projection is aligned with the inner edge ofthe side wall and extend 0.014 inch above the level of the platform.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending patentapplication Ser. No. 675,945, filed Oct. 17, 1967, entitled SafetyRazor, now abandoned.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION This invention relates to safety razors and moreparticularly to magazines for use with safety razors which hold acontinuous band of ribbon-like blades in an arrangement in whichsuccessive lengths of the blade may be sequentially advanced intoshaving position by the user.

This invention has particular applicability to safety razors of the typeshown in the Nissen Pat. 3,262,198. The magazine for such a razor is acompact storage compartment which presents a relatively long length ofblade edge in a shaving zone and includes a relatively abrupt transitionat at least one end of the shaving zone to permit shaving in normallyrelatively inaccessible or recessed areas such as in clefts, aroundnostrils, ears, etc. This relatively abrupt transition producessubstantial stress in the blade and occasionally the blade will fractureat that transition, producing a short but extremely sharp edge that maycut the user during a shaving operation.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved razorconstruction of the ribbon blade type that provides improved protectionof the user while permitting relatively inaccessible portions of theface and neck of the user to be shaved easily and rapidly.

A particular object of this invention is to provide a novel and improvedmagazine construction of the ribbon blade type which provides protectionshould the ribbon blade break at the abrupt transition at the end of theshaving zone.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel and improved ribbontype safety razor of the magazine type.

A razor magazine constructed in accordance with the invention includes ablade support platform which de- "ice fines a shaving zone for receivingand supporting a shaving length of blade in shaving position. At leastone end of the shaving zone, the blade strip is bent sharply, a typicaltransition being a radius in the range of 0.02 0.10 inch, to permiteffective shaving. A guard structure, fixed in position in front of theblade path, at the end of and projecting above the blade supportplatform, provides protection against contact between the shavers skinand a broken blade edge in the areas of sharp bend in the blade. Inparticular embodiments the blade support platform is a part of a basecomponent of the magazine and the guard structure is formed as a part ofthe cover component. In one such embodiment that guard structure formsan extension of the guard bar that extends along the length of and infront of the blade support platform and overlies that portion of theblade path defining structure that produces the sharp bend. In anotherembodiment the vertical inner wall of the guard structure is anextension of the side wall that forms the outer boundary of the bladechannel in the area of the sharp bend. Both embodiments prevent contactbetween the shavers skin and a broken blade edge in that area andprovide a smooth guard surface that does not interfere with convenientand expeditious shaving.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be seen asthe following description of particular embodiments progresses inconjunction with the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a razor blade magazine incorporating theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the magazine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the magazine takenalong the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of a magazine shownin FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a portion of a second magazine constructed inaccordance with the invention showing the relation of the guardprojection and the blade channel; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 77 of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2,the razor blade magazine 10 there illustrated is intended for use in arazor structure generaly of the type shown in the Nissen Pat. No.3,262,198. The magazine member 10 includes a base member 12 and a coverelement 14 which is secured to the base element 12 by snap typeconnectors 16. It is preferred that the components of the magazinestructure be manufactured of an organic plastic capable of beingsubjected to repeated deformation stresses and which will withstand thetemperature and corrosion environments to which the razor will beexposed in use. A suitable plastic material for the back and covercomponents is anacetyl resin sold under the name Delrin.

Formed in the back or base component 12 is a supply cavity 18 in which acoiled supply of the razor blade 20 is disposed. The strip blade 20 isthis embodiment is a strip of stainless steel 0.0015 inch in thicknessand 0.1895 inch in width having a sharpened forward edge 22 and anunsharpened rear edge 24.

Disposed above the supply position 18 is a blade supporting planartransversely extending elongated platform 30 one and one half incheslong which provides support for a length of blade strip 20 suitable forshaving. A vertical shoulder 32, 34 at each end of the blade supportingplatform 30 serves as a back stop for the blade against which itsunsharpened rear margin 24 rests. Four spaced blade hold down elements36 project forwardly over platform 30 from a raised shoulder 38 at therear of platform 30 and overlie platform 30 at a distance above itsufficient to permit the blade 20 to slide between the hold downelements 36 and the platform 30.

Each end of the blade supporting platform 30 terminates in a curved endsurface 40, 42 of 0.062 inch radius, about which blade 20 is bent as itpasses to and from the blade support platform 30. The blade is bentthrough an angle of approximately 165, thus ensuring that the exposedportion of the blade resting on platform 30 can be effectively used forshaving all parts of the face and neck.

A take up arbor 44 is disposed below the supply position 18 and an endof blade 20 is secured to arbor 44. Disposed on arbor 44 is an indicatordial 46, a portion of which is visible through aperture 48 in cover 14.Guide surfaces 49 are provided between supply cavity 18 and end surface40, and between radiused output end surface 42 and take up arbor 44 toguide the blade along the desired path.

Disposed in front of blade support platform 30 is a guard bar 50 that ispositioned in front of and forwardly and downwardly of the sharpenededge 22 of the blade 20 and cooperates with the holder 52 to define adesired shaving geometry of the razor. A slot 54 provided between theguard member 50 and the front edge of the shaving platform 30 to permitmovement away from the shaving zone of hair elements or other debristhat might accumulate during the shaving operation. The guard structure50 is 1.482 inches in length and terminates just short of the centers ofradius of curved end surfaces 40, 42.

As indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 the blade 20 is bent sharply about endsurfaces 40, 42 and the side walls 60 of cover 14 are spaced 1.741inches apart, thus defining with end surfaces 40, 42 channels throughwhich the blade 20 moves. Disposed forwardly of each channel betweenside walls 60 and end surfaces 40, 42 is a guard projection 62 that isformed integrally with cover component 14. The inner edges ofprojections 62 are spaced 1.466 inches apart and when the cover 14 isassembled on base 12 the projections 62 are stressed outwardly by theends of guard 50 and effectively form a continuation of the guardsurface. Each projection 62 thus is positioned in front of and spacedfrom the blade platform 30. Each projection extends 0.010 inch above thelevel of platform 30 and overlies the fiat portion of the platform 0.009inch so that it is positioned in front of the recess between curved endsurfaces 40, 42 andthe enclosing side walls 60 of the cover 14. Thisguard structure, which forms a smooth continuation of the guard bar 50,overlies the front of the channel at the end of the blade supportplatform 30 while the lip of holder 52 limits the rearward exposure ofthat channel so that should the blade 20 fracture at the abrupt radiusat either end of the blade support platform with a result that a shortbut sharp broken edge projects upwardly, this guard projection 62prevents contact between the shavers skin and that sharp edge.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Thosefigures show a portion of a magazine which is similar in configurationto the magazine shown in FIGS. 1-5 and therefore the same referencenumerals will be employed except in the case where the configuration ofcomponents has been modified. As the magazine is of the sameconfiguration at each end of the blade support platform, only one end isshown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In this embodiment the blade support platform 30is 1.625 inches long and the blade guard 50' is 1.616 inches in lengthso that it terminates just short of radiused end surfaces 40, 42 ofplatform 30. The inner surfaces side walls 60 of cover 14 taperoutwardly rearwardly and are spaced 1.633 inches apart at the front ofthe magazine. Side walls 60 define with end surfaces 40, 42, a channel64 at each end of platform 30 through which the blade 20 moves. Disposedforwardly of each side wall 60 is a guard projection 62 that is formedintegrally with cover component 14. The vertical inner edges 66 ofprojections 62 are spaced 1.633 inches apart so that when the cover 14is assembled on the base 12, each projection 62' is positionedimmediately adjacent the end of the guard surface. Each projection 62extends 0.014 inch above the level of platform 30. When the magazine ispositioned in a holder, the lip of the holder 52 limits the rearwardexposure of those channels 64 so that should the blade 20 fracture atthe abrupt end surfaces 40, 42 at either end of the blade supportplatform 30 so that a short but sharp broken edge projects upwardly,these guard projections 62 prevent contact between the shavers skin andthat sharp edge in the same functional manner as projections 62 in theembodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed, various modifications will be apparent to those skilled inthe art and therefore it is not intended that the invention be limitedto the disclosed embodiments or to details thereof and departures may bemade therefrom within the spirit and scope of the invention as definedin the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in a razor, a magazine for a ribbon like blade of uniformwidth having a longitudinally extending rear edge and a parallelsharpened edge, said magazine comprising,

structure defining a blade supply position, a blade take up position,and a blade path extending between said supply position and said take upposition, said blade path defining structure including a blade supportplatform which defines a shaving zone for receiving a shaving length ofblade in supporting position with the sharpened edge of the bladeprojecting beyond the front edge of said support platform, said supportplatform including an abrupt end surface transition about which theblade is bent sharply, and a side wall structure spaced from said endsurface transition and enclosing a portion of said blade path definingstructure to define a channel between said end surface and said sidewall for the movement of said blade past said abrupt end surfacetransition.

and a guard structure fixed in position in front of said side wallstructure, said guard structure being disposed forwardly of andprojecting above the blade path defined by said blade support platformsuch that protection against the possibility of an upstanding brokenblade edge in the vicinity of the sharp bend in the ribbon like blade atthe abrupt end surface transition at the end of said blade supportplatform is provided.

2. The magazine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said blade supportplatform is formed integrally with a first magazine component, and saidside wall structure and said guard structure are formed integrally witha second magazine component.

3. The magazine as claimed in claim 1 and further including a blade edgeguard bar disposed parallel to and forwardly of said blade supportplatform, and wherein said guard structure abuts and forms an extensionof said guard bar at the end thereof.

4. The magazine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said abrupt end surfacetransition produces an effective blade radius of less than 0.10 inch.

5. The magazine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said guard structureextends at least about 0.010 inch above said platform.

6. The magazine as claimed in claim 5 wherein said blade supportplatform is formed integrally with a first magazine component, and saidside wall structure and said guard structure are formed integrally witha second magazine component.

7. The magazine as claimed in claim 6 wherein said blade supportplatform is a planar transversely extending elongated member having anabrupt end surface transition formed at each end thereof, and each saidguard structure has a vertical inner wall that is disposed in alignmentwith the inner surface of said side wall structure.

8. The magazine as claimed in claim 6 wherein said blade supportplatform is a planar transversely extending elongated member, an abruptend surface transition is formed at each end of said member, and a guardstructure is disposed in front of each end surface transition,

each said guard structure extending about 0.010 inch above said memberand overlying said member about 0.010 inch.

9. The magazine as claimed in claim 8 wherein each said abrupt endsurface transition is a smooth curve having a radius of less than 0.10inch and further including a blade edge guard bar disposed parallel toand forwardly of said blade support platform, and wherein each saidguard structure abuts an end of said guard bar.

10. The magazine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said blade supportplatform is a planar transversely extending elongated member, an abruptend surface transition in the form of a smooth curve is at each end ofsaid member, and a guard structure is disposed in front of each said endsurface transition, and further including a blade edge guard bardisposed parallel to and forwardly of said blade support platform, eachsaid guard structure abutting and forming an extension of said guardbar.

11. The magazine as claimed in claim 10 wherein said blade supportplatform is formed integrally with a first magazine component and eachsaid guard structure is formed integrally with a second magazinecomponent, said second magazine component further defining said sidewall structure enclosing a portion of said blade path defining structureto define a channel for the movement of said blade around each said endsurface transition.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,490,775 12/1949 Borden 30-40.12,492,293 12/1949 Jones 3040.1 2,601,718 7/1952 Jones 30--40.1 3,453,7337/1969 Dawidowicz 30-3465 OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner GARY F.GRAFEL, Assistant Examiner

